Did you know? The average hiring manager spends 15 seconds or less reading a resume. If he or she doesn’t get ‘hooked’ immediately, the game is lost.

Job seekers have always had competition, but today your competition to win a job is fiercer than ever. You need the best possible tools to stand out from the crowd. Your resume - standing alone all by itself - represents you to the world of hiring employers. That’s a big responsibility!

Here are some questions to consider. If you are not satisfied with your answers, this may be a good time to talk to a professional and assess how they can help you in your job search.

1. Are you getting the interviews you want (and should be getting)?
2. Are you getting as many responses as you think you should when you apply for jobs?
3. Do you know what kind of job you want?
4. Do you know what your career strategy is?
5. Do you know about the idea of ‘positioning’ as marketers use it?
6. Do you have the time, interest, skills, and energy to spend on writing a good resume?
7. Do you have a talent for speaking about yourself and selling your abilities?
8. How has your interview experience been? Do you tend to be the winning candidate? Have you been comfortable answering the questions that were asked?
9. Do you have unique issues you are trying to deal with in your resume, such as gaps in employment, short stays with several employers, or other issues?
10. If you were asked to describe yourself, would you be able to do this well?
11. Do you have lots of competition for the jobs you want?